An Oven Destroyed

To protect your oven from the elements, it's essential you keep it dry, and keeping it dry doesn't mean covering it with the "blue tarp."
The earth oven shown was covered in the fall to protect it from the rain and snow. Yes, the tarp protected the oven from the rain and snow, but it did not protect it from condensation that got between the tarp and the dome. 
The result: When the tarp was unveiled (you can see it in the bottom left), we see that the oven reverted to its primal substance. MUD.

This oven needed a roof

Earth Oven Workshop

Another successful workshop in Waterville, Maine. 

Thanks to all who attended

Bread/New York Times

Check out the New York Times for some excellent articles about fine bread baking. Included in the Tartine bread section is a conversation with Chad Robertson on how to make Tartine's Country Bread.

Tartine Bread

photo by Eric Wolfinger

Color Confusion

               Sometimes things are best left alone

Here is the original color of the dome. It is natural cement stucco, but Jodi was unhappy with the color so she chose the color below.

Sadly, Jodi was unhappy with her choice of the new color.

     

Jodi chose this second color, but I'm not sure if she likes this one either. Her husband, Eli, hates it.

There will be an update to this story.

Build Your Own Barrel Oven

Build Your Own Barrel Oven is the name of a book I just heard about, and it certainly sounds interesting. If speed is your thing, and you don't want to wait a few hours for your earth oven to heat up for bread baking, then consider a barrel oven. The author's claim that only after a 15-20 minute firing, the oven is ready for bread baking, and that I find quite impressive. Probably I'll download a pdf so I can read the book. I'd sure like to hear from you if you've had experience with this type of oven.
Open the link to read samples from the book.

Oven Protection

Amanda's oven is protected from the howling winds and snow. Really, in a northern climate without an adequate roof, you very well might kiss your oven goodby. Take the time and build a roof to protect the oven.

photo by Amanda Slamm

Flatbreads as fashion statement

• Richard said "Incredible, I dare anybody to try it and not end up wearing it!" This is in reference to the previous post, Enormous Flatbreads

Well, here are some flatbreads being worn.

Enormous Flatbreads

If you can get the link below to work, you'll see truly enormous flatbreads being stretched out and baked.
Note the pile of bricks shielding the baker from the intense heat

https-::www.facebook.com:photo.php?v=10152346736063273&set=vb.656973272&type=2&theater

The Mystery Of Sourdough

Just when I think that I have a solid understanding of sourdough, something happens, and I have to start all over again. 
I normally use about 1/4 cup of starter in each bread, but yesterday, for no apparent reason I thought I'd push the limit. I used 1 cup of starter in a single loaf of bread. I thought something bad might happen, but no, something good happened. I baked one of my best sourdough loaves ever. The loaf had a thin, crisp crust, was tender inside, had lots of mouse holes and a mild taste. Just the way I like it.
If you're wondering why I didn't bake in my wood-fired oven, I can only say that it's been too damn cold outside, and I wasn't ready to stray from the kitchen.
To make an outstanding loaf of bread, lots of elements have to come together such as:
quality of the flour
quality of the starter
correct amount of water
room temperature
correct duration of the proof
and there's more
In a domestic oven, ALWAYS bake undercover in a Dutch oven.

Back From Guatemala

Just returned from Guatemala where Masons On A Mission (Not to be confused with The Masons or with missionaries) built 40 energy efficient stoves with the Mayas.
We divide into small groups of three where each group builds a stove a day. The wood-fired stoves are used for making tortillas, beans, stews, etc. Being vented to the outdoors, the Mayas will no longer be breathing smoke from their traditional three stone fires.

Stove paid for by Eric Msica from France